From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishlay siege to somebody/somethinglay siege to somebody/somethinga) if a group of people lay siege to a place, they try to get control by surrounding it The armies laid siege to Vienna in 1529. b) to do everything you can to get someone to talk to you or notice you A group of young men were always at the stage door, trying to lay siege to the girls. → lay
Examples from the Corpus
lay siege to somebody/something• After his victory Edward rallied his troops and marched north to lay siege to Calais.• In 476 they laid siege to Eion, which guarded the Strymon bridge.• In June 1176 Richard laid siege to Limoges; after a few days resistance Aimar's citadel capitulated.• In less than two generations, since the Second World War, they have laid siege to the academic world.• He laid siege to the fortress and gradually weakened it to the point of collapse.• Almost ten years had passed since they had first laid siege to the town, and it seemed as strong as ever.• She had laid siege to the typists' room for some minutes before Marshall had persuaded her downstairs.lay siege to somebody/somethinglay siege to somebody/somethinga) if the army or police lay siege to a place, they start a siege against it In June 1176, King Richard laid siege to Limoges. b) if you lay siege to someone, you do everything you can to try and get them to talk to you Then he set to work laying siege to her with letters. → siegeExamples from the Corpus
lay siege to somebody/something• Almost ten years had passed since they had first laid siege to the town, and it seemed as strong as ever.• She had laid siege to the typists' room for some minutes before Marshall had persuaded her downstairs.• In less than two generations, since the Second World War, they have laid siege to the academic world.• He laid siege to the fortress and gradually weakened it to the point of collapse.• In June 1176 Richard laid siege to Limoges; after a few days resistance Aimar's citadel capitulated.• In 476 they laid siege to Eion, which guarded the Strymon bridge.• After his victory Edward rallied his troops and marched north to lay siege to Calais. 